Tuition & Affordability

An Exceptional Education Within Reach

At Chinquapin Preparatory School, we believe that a student’s opportunity to receive an exceptional college-preparatory education should not be determined by their family’s income.

The average cost to educate one Chinquapin student is approximately $25,500 each year. But families are not expected to pay that full cost. Since our founding in 1969, Chinquapin’s mission has been to make a rigorous, life-changing education accessible to talented and motivated students from Greater Houston’s under-resourced communities.

Through the generosity of foundations, individual donors, alumni, and other supporters, every Chinquapin student receives substantial tuition support. Families contribute only a portion of the actual cost of their child’s education, with their contribution determined primarily by household income and family size

How Chinquapin Tuition Works

Rather than charging every family the same tuition, Chinquapin uses a sliding-scale tuition model. Your family’s contribution is determined by:

• Annual household income
• Household size
• Current receipt of SNAP or TANF benefits, which qualifies a family for Chinquapin’s minimum tuition rate

This means that two families may pay different amounts for the same Chinquapin education. The difference between what families contribute and the approximately $25,500 it costs Chinquapin to educate each student is made possible through the significant financial support Chinquapin raises each year on behalf of our students.

A family’s financial circumstances do not determine whether a student is eligible for admission to Chinquapin.

What Might My Family Pay?

The table below is designed to help you estimate your family’s monthly tuition contribution.

Find your estimated annual household income, then locate your household size. The amount shown is the estimated amount your family would pay each month during the school year.

These amounts represent the family’s contribution, not the full cost of a Chinquapin education. Chinquapin invests approximately $25,500 per student each year, with the majority of that cost supported through institutional resources and the generosity of our donors.

Understanding Your Estimate

The amounts shown in the table are estimates for planning purposes. Chinquapin will determine your family’s final tuition contribution after reviewing the financial information submitted during the admissions and enrollment process.

The estimates shown:

• Include the $70 annual fee, distributed across nine monthly payments
• Assume tuition payments are made over nine months, September through May
• Provide the minimum rate for families receiving SNAP benefits, which is $50 per month before the annual fee
• Do not include any applicable TEFA adjustments

If your financial circumstances are different from what can easily be represented in a table, we encourage you to speak with our Admissions team. We understand that every family’s situation is different.

What Does a Chinquapin Education Include?

A Chinquapin education extends far beyond the classroom. Students become part of a small, supportive community in which they are known, challenged, and encouraged to grow.

The Chinquapin experience includes rigorous college-preparatory academics, small classes, individualized college counseling, athletics and extracurricular opportunities, meals, Chromebooks, transportation throughout the Greater Houston area, and access to summer and enrichment opportunities. Students may also participate in Chinquapin’s unique Monday-through-Friday residential program at no additional tuition cost.

Chinquapin does not charge additional participation fees for school meals or athletics. Families may be responsible for certain limited expenses, such as a portion of AP examination fees, some class-specific materials when applicable, or the replacement of lost or damaged school-provided property.

Confirming Your Family’s Tuition

As part of the admissions and enrollment process, families submit documentation that allows Chinquapin to determine the appropriate family contribution. This may include a federal income tax return, Form W-2, or other documentation that verifies household income. Families who do not file a tax return or receive a W-2 can work directly with the Admissions Office to identify appropriate alternative documentation. Once a student is admitted, Chinquapin will confirm the family’s annual tuition contribution and monthly payment amount.

We also understand that circumstances can change. Families experiencing an unexpected financial hardship are encouraged to contact Chinquapin so that we can discuss available options.

A Shared Investment in Every Chinquapin Student

For more than five decades, Chinquapin has invested deeply in students whose talent, motivation, and potential should not be limited by financial circumstances.

Families make an important contribution toward their child’s education. Chinquapin’s supporters make another. Together, those investments allow our students to experience an education designed to prepare them not simply for high school graduation, but for college, leadership, and life beyond Chinquapin.

Questions about tuition or your family’s estimated contribution? 

Contact the Chinquapin Admissions Office at admissions@chinquapin.org or 281-426-5551.